In the servicing of an automotive vehicle it is necessary to transfer such fluids as engine flush liquids, transmission fluid, radiator coolant, power steering fluid, and fuel injection cleaners. Typically, these different fluids have different colors, or are at least stored in color coded containers. For example, the engine flush liquid is blue and/or is stored in a blue container, the transmission fluid is red or black and/or is stored in a red or black container, the radiator coolant is green and/or is stored in a green container, the power steering fluid is yellow and/or is stored in a yellow container, and the fuel injection cleaner is green and/or is stored in a green container. In many situations there is an exchange of used and new fluids, but sometimes, for example, with the fuel injection cleaner, the same cleaner is recycled many times and there is not a replacement of a used fluid with a new fluid. When an exchange of fluids is required, two receptacles are employed, one for the new fluid and the other for the used fluid. Typical fluid transfer machines are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,472,064; 5,806,629; 5,853,068; 6,165,567; 6,112,855; and 6,131,701.
This invention has several features. These features provide this invention with its many desirable attributes. After reading the following section entitled xe2x80x9cDETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS,xe2x80x9d one will understand how the features of this invention provide its benefits, which include, but are not limited to, convenient access to and replacement of containers for fluid, compactness for ease of storage, mobility, applicability to a variety of different types of automotive fluid transfer machines. Without limiting the scope of this invention as expressed by the claims that follow, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly.
A first feature of the housing of this invention is that it is particularly suited for a fluid transfer machine used in the automotive service industry. It includes a base member having a perimeter defined by an edge. The base member holds one or more container of fluid that is manually move onto and from the base member. Preferably, there are wheel members extending from an underside of the base member. A pedestal member extends outward from the base member in a substantially vertical orientation and terminates in a platform. A cover member is mounted to the platform, for example, by a hinge, in a manner enable it to move between an open position where the platform is exposed and a closed position where the platform is covered. The platform may be substantially horizontally oriented or at an angle with respect to the horizontal. Preferably, the base member and the platform have substantially the same over all shape and dimensions. In one embodiment of this invention the base member and the platform are each rectangular. In some applications it is desirable to have the container and at least a part, or component of the housing, of substantially the same color.
A second feature is that the pedestal member is offset inward from a front edge portion of the base member to provide an open space beneath the platform between an underside of the platform and a topside of the base member. This space adapted to store at least one container for a fluid. There typically is at least one hose member in communication with a container in the space. This hose member extends from the underside of the platform and terminates in a connector adapted to attach and detach the hose member to the container. The configuration of the pedestal member is important. Preferably, the pedestal member has a hollow interior and has a removable door to provide access to this hollow interior. One side of the pedestal member is positioned nearby a rear edge portion of the edge of the edge of the base member. Opposite this one side is a substantially vertical partition wall that is centrally positioned on the base member and at substantially a right angle to a front edge portion of the base member.
A third feature is that space has a volume that is complementary to the shape and dimensions of the container. In one embodiment, the container occupies essentially the entire space when the container positioned on the base member. In another embodiment, the container has a predetermined height and a predetermined volume and the space has a height that is substantially the same as the predetermined height of the container and the space is greater in volume than the predetermined volume of the container, for example, up to a maximum of 15 volume percent greater than the predetermined volume of the container.
A fourth feature is that the base member and the space between the platform and base member are designed to accommodate different types of containers or pairs of containers. In one embodiment, the container is a single unit or structure having a central, longitudinal, narrow indentation on an inboard side thereof that receives the partition wall when the container is positioned on the base member. This indentation is only slightly greater in size than the partition wall, so the wall fits snugly within the indentation. In another embodiment, the base member supports a pair of containers that are side by side next to each other and the partition wall is between the containers. Preferably, the containers comprising this pair are preferably mirror images of each other. One, or both, containers may have an opening and a level sensing instrument inserted into this opening. Preferably, the container has a bottom with a predetermined configuration and the topside of the base member has a recess portion therein that is substantially identical to this predetermined configuration of the bottom of the container. This facilitates storing the container in the space. There is a predetermined distance between the underside of the platform and the topside of the base member, and the container has a height substantially the same as this predetermined distance, which typically is from about 24 to about 36 inches.
This invention also includes a method of transferring fluid between a container of fluid and an automotive vehicle. This method includes:
(a) providing a transfer machine having a housing, including
a base member having a perimeter defined by an edge,
a pedestal member extending outward from the base member in a substantially vertical orientation and terminating in platform, said pedestal member being offset inward from the edge of the base member to provide an open space beneath the platform between an underside of the platform and a topside of the base member for storing at least one container for a fluid, and
a cover member mounted to enable the cover member to move between an open position where the platform is exposed and a closed position where the platform is covered;
(b) placing a container of fluid into the open space with said container being supported by the topside of the base member; and
(c) placing the container and the automotive vehicle in communication with each other through the transfer machine to effect a transfer of the fluid in the container until substantially of the fluid is removed from the container and the container is empty.
The method of claim 34 may include the step of replacing with a new container of fluid the empty container. Also, a pair of containers may employed, one for new fluid and the other for used fluid. The housing, or a portion thereof, and the container may also have substantially the same color.